17 September 2010: The UN General Assembly (UNGA) has referred the draft Resolution and outcome document of the High-level Review Meeting on the implementation of the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (MSI+5) to the High-level event, which will convene in New York, US, from 24-25 September 2010.

The Resolution (A/65/L.2) includes a political declaration in which heads of State and government, ministers, and other representatives of Member States at the MSI+5, inter alia:

Acknowledge that SIDS have demonstrated their commitment to promoting sustainable development, in mainstreaming sustainable development principles into national development strategies and in enhancing political commitments and public awareness of the importance of sustainable development issues;

Acknowledge that climate change and sea-level rise continue to pose a significant risk to SIDS and their efforts to achieve sustainable development and, for some, represent the gravest of threats to their survival and viability;

Call upon States to take urgent global action to address climate change in accordance with the principles identified in the UNFCCC, including the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities;

Call upon the international community to continue to enhance its support for the development and implementation of SIDS national climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies and programmes;

Recognize the need to enhance and establish, if necessary, means and tools at the international level aimed at implementing a preventive approach for natural disasters in SIDS, reducing risks and properly integrating risk management into development policies and programmes, including through the further implementation of the internationally agreed framework for disaster risk reduction, the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015;

Recognize the importance of North-South cooperation, complemented by South-South cooperation, cooperation among SIDS, and triangular cooperation, to promote programmes for those states for the effective implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action (BPOA) and Mauritius Strategy;

Emphasize that SIDS and the relevant regional and international development partners should work together to develop and implement regional initiatives to promote conservation and the sustainable management of coastal and marine resources;

Call upon the international community to continue enhancing the efforts of SIDS to foster agricultural production, productivity, and sustainability and to prioritize food security. This should be achieved through diversification and value-added activities, research and development, improved land use, sustainable forest management, access to and the appropriate use of modern technology, and access to markets, as well as the empowerment of small-scale farmers, including women, indigenous peoples and rural communities;

Call upon the international community to further assist SIDS in the development of appropriate systems for recycling, waste minimization and treatment, reuse and management, and mechanisms to protect the oceans and coastal areas from waste and toxic materials, including through the creation and strengthening of systems and networks for the dissemination of information on appropriate environmentally sound technologies, recycling and disposal technologies;

Note with concern that water quality and availability constitute serious constraints in SIDS, and, although some SIDS are implementing measures such as demand-side management, wastewater treatment, enhancing water-use efficiency and increasing public awareness, such efforts are hampered by financial and capacity constraints, and request the international community to provide assistance to SIDS for capacity building for the development and further implementation of freshwater and sanitation programmes;

Call upon the international community to assist the efforts of SIDS to strengthen national disaggregated data and information systems as well as analytical capabilities for decision-making, tracking progress, and development of vulnerability-resilience country profiles;

Urge development partners, in view of the current global economic situation, to further pay due attention to the unique and particular vulnerabilities of SIDS in the context of their trade and partnership agreements and trade preference programmes, in accordance with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and provisions, to help economic recovery in those States;

Acknowledge that the specific circumstances of each small island developing State should be taken into account in addressing long-term debt sustainability and that better access to international capital markets needs to be ensured for SIDS;

Urge the international financial institutions to continue to take into account the specific circumstances, situations and vulnerabilities of each small island developing State to enable them to have adequate access to financial resources, including concessionary financing for investment in sustainable development;

Request the UN Secretary-General to include a chapter in his report to the General Assembly at its 66th Session on the follow-up to and implementation of the Mauritius Strategy on the collection, analysis and dissemination of data on the sustainable development of SIDS, and to make recommendations on how to address the challenges relating to these issues;

Request the UN Secretary-General to submit a report that puts forward concrete recommendations to enhance the implementation of the BPOA and the Mauritius Strategy and refocus efforts toward a results-oriented approach and to consider what improved and additional measures might be needed to more effectively address the unique and particular vulnerabilities and development needs of SIDS; and

Renew resolve to fulfil commitments to further implement the Mauritius Strategy and underscore the urgency of finding additional solutions to the major challenges facing SIDS, in a concerted manner.

[General Assembly draft resolution]